Marking of Property
by Madness
Summary: Inuyasha's childhood friend, Tasukete, remembers a dark secret that involves a youkai marking her as his own. Rated R for insinuation of rape and some bad language. Dark fic. CHAP 2 UP!
1. You're Mine Alone

Marking of Property  
written by: Madness  
~~  
A/N: Er....got bored. This story revolves around Tasukete's childhood memory of Inuyasha and an unforgotten confrontation with a youkai.  
  
Warnings - don't read if you can't handle an indication of rape. Nothing explicit though, if you must know. I never wrote something like this before anyway (and finished the same day). :P  
  
_Disclaimers -- what do I care? I'm not getting paid! But...just for kicks, all characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Except for Tasukete. She's obviously mine. There; now I can't possibly be sued._  
~~  
  
Tasukete, the 9-year-old dragon youkai with bright orange-red hair and wide innocent yellow eyes, scoured the forest in search of her best friend, a hanyou by the name of Inuyasha. The two had met some time ago, maybe about 2 or 3 years back, and became inseparable ever since those foolish human brats dared to pick on poor Inu-kun, and Tasukete didn't want any of _that_. After helping him out by scaring away the childish punks, they knew that they would be friends for a long, long time. And even though she was a full blooded youkai, and Inuyasha was only a hanyou, they didn't care. After all, it really doesn't matter. They were happy...and that type of happiness should be entitled to last for their entire childhood.  
  
But that happiness was about to become only a distant memory.  
  
It always happens when you least suspect it, and especially when you think that nothing would ever happen to you. It was never safe during Inuyasha's childhood - too many demons and oni lurked in dark places, just waiting for that particular moment to strike. To feed on the fear of helpless people was what the evil spirits desired; that, and the power to steal away a child's innocent nature, leaving nothing but a wounded living doll. Power was everything to them; it is what drives them to insanity and greed and lust.  
  
All children are born innocent. The perfect targets, they were.  
  
Still, the sky was as blue as it had ever been, and the gentle breeze sang silent melodies on the soft blades of grass in the fields where Tasukete and Inuyasha played.  
"Inuyasha!"  
The two children's game of tag was interrupted abruptly by the young hanyou's mother's voice. Tasukete pouted a bit before sitting on the grass, fiddling with the blades between her little fingers.  
"I'll see you later, Tasu-chan!" Inuyasha called back as he ran towards his mother's voice.  
"Okay!" Tasukete sang cheerfully, but she really hated it when Inuyasha had to leave so soon. He was her only friend, and she got terribly lonely whenever he wasn't around. "Definitely! I'll be by the lake, okay?!"  
She knew he had heard her. She was well known as a big mouth. But of course, it was expected of a mere child to be loud.  
'Aw...it got so quiet all of a sudden...' she thought to herself, and sighed as she headed over to the lake, which was on the other side of the forest. 'I hope he doesn't take long...'  
A soft rustle from a nearby bush startled the little girl, and she spun around nervously upon the realization that someone...or something...was watching her. It was innate for the children at this time to be alert, especially with all of the demons roaming around. Most attacks happened at night, and that time wasn't too far off. Tasukete clenched her tiny fists tightly; though she herself was a youkai, she was very inexperienced and quite alone.  
"W-Whoever you are...I have a s-sword, a-and I'm not afraid to use it!" she stammered out, then noticing that she had accidently left her sword by the fields where she played last. But that didn't faze her. "So if you can any closer, I'll slice you!"  
Silence.  
Maybe it was just her imagination. Because, you know...a person's mind can play tricks on you. Or it might have been just the wind.  
  
  
Eventually Tasu-chan made it to the lake, and she kneeled to splash some water on her chubby face. The water was so cool, so refreshing...especially after a warm summer day of running around in an open field. She splashed her face once more and sat back to dry off by the wind alone; the hairs that framed her face fell back on her shoulders and moved with the wind freely. It was dark already, but she promised Inuyasha that when he arrived, she would definitely be there, waiting.  
"I just hope he comes soon!! Inuyasha!! Heyyy!!" she yelled, breaking the silence of her surroundings. "Come ooooon!!"  
Suddenly, the shriek of an unknown creature pierced Tasukete's sensitive ear drums, and she jumped from her spot by the lake, covering her ears. "An oni..." she whispered, and she desperately wished she had gone back for her sword.  
But the oni, though unrevealed, just didn't stop it's terrible scream, and it seemed as though it was coming closer to the young dragon youkai.  
Tasukete wanted to run, but she froze in her place. Something wasn't allowing her to move freely, and her mouth went dry as the oni shot out of the bushes a few feet away from her. The form of the oni was that of a fierce serpent-like creature, it's mouth wide open, it's thick white fangs dripping with lethal poison. As the demon's high pitched shriek finally came to a halt, Tasukete thought it was over for her.  
"Help meeeeee, somebodyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Onegaiiiiiiiiii!!!!!" Tasukete screamed as she saw the serpent lunge at her with it's jaw prepared even to swallow her whole, if it had to. "Help meee!!!!!"  
Tasukete shut her eyes....but the strike never came. "....huh?"  
  
A young man, possibly in his early 20's, stood before the now-dead serpent creature that attempted to kill Tasukete. But...by the way he was standing, it seemed as though he had only arrived to find the serpent dead. But..it just _couldn't be_! How on earth could that serpent just _die_ all of a sudden?!  
Unfazed, the man turned to the frozen girl. His calm eyes focused on her small form with a strange interest. Needless to say, *he* was rathering interesting in appearance as well. His long black hair fell slightly on his shoulders and down his back, and his facial expression having an almost dark shadow looming in mystery. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, giving Tasukete a cold chill down her spine. His voice was deep and cold, but he didn't seem like he wanted to hurt her. In fact, she knew then that he was the one who saved her from that hideous creature.  
"Yes. Arigatou, sir. I didn't mean to trouble you." she squeaked, lowering her head and staring at the ground in shame. She _should've_ been able to protect herself, but...  
"It was no trouble." he assured her, facing her fully and kneeling down to meet her eye to eye. "What is your name, little girl?"  
"Um...Hiru." she told him, not wanting to reveal her first name to the stranger, even if he _had_ saved her life. "What about you?"  
"Hitomi." he replied calmly and smiled at her. "What are you doing so late at night? Do you live near here?"  
"Well..." she looked up at him finally, and felt more comfortable with the kind look in his eyes. The dark shadow must have faded, because now she felt as though she could trust him with her life. "..I...I live near my friend. He's not too far from here."  
"Really?" he stood up and extended his hand to her. She stood there and stared at his hand, baffled. What did he want her to do?  
It became obvious to Hitomi that the child was not familiar with basic requests. "Come with me, and I'll take you home if you'd like, Hiru."  
A voice in the back of Tasukete's mind began to scream warning signals. She wasn't about to follow a complete stranger, but....  
"It's okay, Hitomi-san. I'm waiting for someone. He should be here any minute now."  
Hitomi looked at her oddly before pulling his hand away. "I see....Hiru, don't you trust me?"  
"I, uh...." she turned away from him. He was just so nice to her, and he was even offering to take her home so she would be safe. A human was actually _worrying_ about her! 'That's it!' she told herself, 'He must not know that I'm a youkai. If I tell him...maybe he'd leave me alone, just like all the others!' "Hitomi-san....I'm not human."  
He stood silent for a moment, which startled Tasukete a bit. Within a few seconds, he smiled at her. "I could tell. You have the markings of a youkai."  
'He must mean the little stripe on my cheek...obviously.' "Right. I'm a youkai."  
"Well, it doesn't matter to me, Hiru. You are still a little girl that needs to be protected from things that want to hurt you."  
Tasukete wrinkled her nose. She didn't like to hear that she needed to be protected. Even though she was small, she could still defend herself...she just needed her sword, which was her downfall. And it didn't help that she was totally inexperienced with everything else in the line of self-defense. "I'm fine, thank you."  
He laughed softly. "Then were you in complete control when that serpent oni was about to kill you?" His voice made Tasukete shiver again, and she stood quiet. "I didn't think so. Now, I only wish to see you safely home. I would feel terrible if you get killed tonight. You don't derserve to die so young..."  
He didn't mean to scare her, but he was doing a pretty good job of it. Tasukete turned quickly and ran as fast as she could away from Hitomi. Her senses were screaming at her, warning and alerting her to the danger of staying with someone that suddenly didn't seem so human. She ran away from him....because she smelled his youkai blood.  
  
  
In the morning, an angry Tasukete stomped over to Inuyasha's place and punched the door. "Inuyasha!"  
The door was opened by Inuyasha's mother. She was a gentle woman - kind, caring...the type of person that made Tasukete actually come to like humans just a bit. "What's wrong, Tasukete-chan?"  
"Ohayoo Gozaimasu. I'm sorry to have startled you, but where is Inuyasha?"  
"You just missed him, Tasu-chan. I believed he went to the field where you two frequent." she said nicely.  
"Okay, thank you..." Tasukete turned and ran into the forest. She hid it from his mother well, but she was angry at Inuyasha for not showing up by the lake.  
Since the field was close by, she arrived immediately and saw Inuyasha sitting in the middle of everything, staring up into the sky. He seemed so relaxed...and oblivious to the fact that he should have been at the lake last night.  
"Inuyasha!" Tasukete yelled as she stomped over to where he sat. The hanyou shifted his attention from the sky to his friend, then realizing she didn't look all too happy.  
"Hi Tasu-chan! What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes wide with curiousity.  
Tasukete was blunt, but then again, there wasn't much to say. "Why weren't you at the lake last night? I waited and waited, and you didn't show up!"  
The light dawned on Inuyasha, and he bit his lip. Tasukete was scary when she got upset. "I'm sorry, Tasu-chan! I fell asleep....I forgot about going...!"  
The girl fumed. It was bad enough being attacked at her weakest hour, and it was worse that she ran away from an even *stronger* youkai with unknown intentions, but it was the absolute *worst* thing if your best friend just forgets about you and leaves you all alone in the woods. "Inuyasha, how could you just forget about me?! I would never forget about you!!!"  
"I said I was sorry!" Inuyasha shouted back. "It was an accident!!"  
"But I don't wanna be left alone...!" the girl started to sniffle, feeling tears well up in her eyes. It was true, she didn't want to be left alone. She had no family and no other friends besides Inuyasha. "I don't want to be alone, Inuyasha."  
"But you have to be alone when I'm not around!" Inuyasha told her. "You have to."  
"You don't understand!!" she snapped, and decided not to hear anymore from her friend. Making up her mind, she turned and ran deeper into the forest, yelling back to Inuyasha, "And don't follow me or else I'll beat you up!"  
"Chotto matte! Tasukete-chan!"  
"Don't follow me or else!!" she yelled, and she meant it - Inuyasha could tell.  
The hanyou sighed. 'Geez...it was an accident...' He then turned and started to go back home.  
  
Tasukete didn't realize it, but she ran in the exact location of the lake. Though it was early and bright, it was not exactly the right place to go. But she was too angry and hurt. A child's feelings get hurt easily, especially if they must face life alone and feel as though no one cares about her.  
She eventually came out of the forest, but stopped in her tracks once she saw the lake. And there he was - Hitomi; sitting quietly beside the lake, as if he were in deep thought.  
A gasp came from Tasukete, and she clasped her hand over her mouth nervously. Of course Hitomi had heard her, and he glanced over his shoulder at the girl. He smiled. "I didn't think I'd see you here again, Hiru-chan."  
That voice again. She didn't know whether it was a tone of pity or one of indifference. But at the moment, she didn't care. He was the only one who knew that she was a youkai, and he didn't mind one bit. And that reason was because he, too, was a youkai.  
"H...Hitomi-san....." she stammered, her eyes beginning to allow the tears to flow freely down her cheeks. Once she noticed the tears staining her face, she roughly wiped them away, but the redness didn't go away that easily.  
Hitomi stood up and walked over to her, kneeling in front of her as he had done the night before. "What's wrong, Hiru-chan....why are you crying?" He placed a hand on her cheek, softly brushing away any strands of hair.  
Why, he sounded so nice to her! No one was _ever_ this kind! She sniffled and tried to hold back her tears. Why she was so upset, she wasn't sure. It's just that...she was so lonely...and her only friend just forgot about her, and if the polite young man in front of her hadn't been there when he had, she probably wouldn't even be alive to this day.  
Until finally, she broke. "Hitomi-saaaaan!!!!!" she sobbed as she fell into his arms, releasing the tears that she had been holding back her whole life. "I don't wanna be alone!!! Please tell me you won't leave me!!"  
Hitomi openly wrapped his arms around her, placing his cheek on her head and soothingly ran his fingers through her hair. "Don't worry..."  
"...I don't want to be alone..." she choked out again, clutching his silky-soft robes and burying her head in them.  
He held her tighter and she continued to release her pent up emotions through a river of tears and sobs of the confession of lonliness. He remained silent as he heard her tell him things that normally she would never tell a 'stranger'.  
"I'm sorry, I lied to you! My name is really Tasukete....I'm a dragon youkai, but I have no family, and I have been alone my whole life...! The villagers hate me because I'm not human! And my only friend forgot about me....how could you forget your best friend and leave her in a scary place at night?...."  
He finally spoke to her. "Tasukete-chan...it's all right. I won't leave you alone."  
Tasukete's cries began to soften, and she looked up at him with hope in her wide eyes. "You won't....?" she whimpered, and soon she felt him hold her tightly against himself once more. And soon she began to cry all over again.  
"Thank you....." she whispered between sobs...but suddenly the voice in the back of her mind began screaming again. _Why was it screaming at her so anxiously_? She ignored the screams, however. In Hitomi's arms, she felt secure and no longer felt anymore lonliness. She wasn't going to be alone any longer.  
Hitomi's voice broke her thoughts. "...Will you be mine....Tasukete..."  
She had no idea what he meant by those words. Be his?  
He asked her again, perhaps in wonderment if she hadn't heard him the first time. "Tasukete. Will you belong to me...?"  
She was baffled beyond belief, and the screaming of her inner voice just got worse and worse. "I don't understand, Hitomi-san..."  
His grip on her felt unusually tighter; a bit tighter than previously. But she paid no attention, and listened to what he had to explain to her. "I will protect you...but you must belong to me. You must be mine alone. Tasukete."  
She still didn't understand what he truly meant. And other than that, he was no longer calling her Tasukete_-chan_. He was trustworthy...wasn't he...?  
"I will not allow you to belong to anyone else. You are mine alone. Say it, Tasukete." His voice was still deep and calm...but now she was beginning to sense an even darker intent in his words. And with more insistance. "Say it."  
She didn't know what else to say; she was still so very confused. "I...I b-belong to you....o-only....you..." By saying those words, the screams took a turn for the worst, and then....they stopped altogether.  
"You don't sound very convincing, Tasukete..." he said lowly, and his tone made her receive a chill down her spine - this time, the type of chill that meant danger. "Say it."  
"H-Hitomi......? Why do I have to...?" she began to fear his voice. She didn't want to hear him anymore.  
"Just say it, Tasukete-chan...."  
Tasukete-chan. There it was again. He was trying to gain her trust again, but this time, she wasn't so sure about it. "....why.....?"  
"Say it." he insisted. His grip was firm around her small frame, and she believed that the only way to get away from him was to just say those words again - and this time, like she meant it, though she was more confused than ever on the importance of it all.  
"I belong to you. Only you. I won't belong to anyone else."  
Hitomi stood quiet after she finally said those words, and finally he let out a sigh of content. "You belong to me. I will not accept you to go back on your promise."  
"I promise I won't...."  
"In the future you will back out of it....therefore...I'm afraid you must keep your promise through different means. A way of means by which it will remain." he loosened his grip around her, only to force her to the ground roughly, holding her down with one arm.  
Tasukete's heart and mind raced as an outbreak of emotions welled up inside of her being - from confusion, to pain, to anger, to hate....and then, to fear. "Hitomi, what are you....!" She froze in midsentence as her eyes came into contact with his. No longer did his eyes belong to that of a kind and patient friend. They formed into that of cold, dark orbs of a demon. A heartless demon. A demon that completely lacked a soul. The shadow that she had seen the first time she met him had appeared once again, looming over his face ominously.  
His mouth formed into that of a smirk, and Tasukete feared she would never see him smile at her again.  
"...Hitomi...."  
The man laughed suddenly, and she didn't know why. She only said his name in wonderment...what could possibly be so funny? "Tasukete-chan....I lied to you as well."  
"What?"  
His eyes surveyed the girl's form, and made eye contact with her again. "My name...is Naraku."  
Tasukete had never felt such fear before...just being in his presence, and having him stare at her was immensely frightening for just a child. "But I don't belong to a Naraku! I was talking to Hitomi, and you're not him!"  
"Oh?" he raised a questioning eyebrow, "Is that what you think...? Tasukete, you belong to me. And you promised to remain true to your contract," he raised his free hand and revealed his sharp claws - claws that she hadn't seen before. How did they just...._appear_....?  
..._he has powers_....if she tried to fight him, she would die without a doubt, unless he really wanted her to belong to him. She didn't have a chance.  
"...and...Tasukete...you _wouldn't_ want to get out of your promise, now _would you_?" his mocking tone evident, he smirked at her once again. He was mocking a scared little girl. He was as unfeeling as he was dark.  
Her mouth went dry as Naraku pulled up her white chinese-style shirt, only enough to reveal her belly. "A contract to be formed must be a permanent one," he whispered as he traced a single claw across her stomach lightly. He then looked back at her. "A permanent one can only be marked with blood alone...don't you agree..."  
Tasukete didn't like the sound of that.  
And soon she surprised herself by allowing a eardrum-shattering scream to escape from her lips...the same type of scream she heard in the back of her mind not too long ago. Naraku had begun to press his claw firmly into her skin until it cut through, but upon realizing that demon skin is special and heals quickly, he decided to add an extra something so that the scar would remain forever. A small spell - nothing major, but it would do the job well.  
Purposely cutting her skin slowly so that he could hear and savor the girl's cries satisfied him greatly. And eventually, the kanji of his name was formed in deep, red wounds that would never fade from the lower left part of her stomach. Naraku.  
Her screams died out slowly after he finished, and he wiped the blood away with her own shirt, staining it purposely. "Tasukete...I want you to say those words again."  
She squeezed her eyelids shut. _Why_? _Why was he so persistant in getting her to say it again_? It was all just a game to him - a game he could never possibly lose. She had no choice. "I belong to you....Naraku. Only you. I will not belong to anyone else. I am yours."  
"My property and my possession," he murmured lowly, "...and my toy..."  
He released his grip on her and got to his feet, but Tasukete still felt his eyes burning on her body. She was so helpless...  
"I will keep my promise as well. I will protect you." he told her as he turned to leave, but he paused to look back at her, "You will not see me again for a long time. But I will be watching your every move...just waiting for the moment when the final part of our contract is to be fulfilled." He began to leave.  
"Chotto matte!" she yelled and sat up quickly, twitching at the sting of her bloody marks. Naraku stopped, but he didn't turn around.  
"Yes?"  
"Why are you so mean!?" she snapped at him, her face red with both anger and embarrassment. "Why me!?"  
He didn't bother to look at her. "I chose you long ago. Do not question my interest in such a little child...but you will be of use to me in the future."  
Tasukete blinked and he disappeared. "...but...."  
"Tasukete-chan!!!"  
She turned her head to find Inuyasha running to her anxiously. "Inuya...." the pain of the wounds was too much, and she fell back onto the grass....the sky was no longer blue and the wind was no longer soothing. Everything turned dark.  
  
::::::::::::MANY years later::::::::::::::::::  
  
Tasukete sat on the branch of the tree, her eyes heavy and her mind full of remorse. The day when she was marked was the beginning of her life and the ending of her innocence. She knew very well what Naraku's 'final part of the contract' was. And even though his kanji was still imprinted in her flesh, she didn't intend on letting him get away with destroying her life. All she wanted was to have someone hold her as Inuyasha's mother would hold him, and that someone would comfort and be there for her, never letting her feel lost and alone.  
She hated Naraku. And even though she was marked as his possession, she refused to be his.  
Exhasperated, she dropped from the tree branch and walked over to the lake, where it all happened. She felt him watching her, but she knew he had never stopped since that day. In a way, it was good that he would not allow anything to kill her...but it would all build up to his plan, somehow. If she died, his plan wouldn't work, and all those years of waiting had gotten him impatient.  
He wanted to complete the contract. _Now_. She felt it.  
"You can't have me, Naraku."  
Soon she felt his hands freely wrap around her arms, suddenly tightening into a powerful grip. "Is that so..." came a familiar voice from behind, and soon following, a mocking laugh.  
She spun around and narrowed her eyes at him vengefully. "I am not yours!" she spat.  
Naraku simply slashed the lower part of her shirt to reveal her stomach - still marked with his kanji as though the incident happened only the night before. "My name on your skin proves otherwise..."  
"Don't you dare come near me!" she snapped and pushed him away from her. "I'm a lot stronger than before. I can defend myself a whole lot better....and I wouldn't mind killing you!"  
"I won't allow that from you, Tasukete-chan." he grabbed her by the neck and forced her down. She lay beneath him, and he straddled her form, leaving her immobile. He laughed at her predicament. "This seems....all so familiar, _doesn't it_?"  
"You bastard...." she choked out, grabbing his hand which was tightly gripped around her neck. "Don't..."  
"Tasukete."  
He was staring at her without showing any emotion; his face...his eyes telling her something. Deep down she knew what his eyes were saying.  
And as he thrusted himself into her, she didn't allow herself to scream, and never stopped looking into his eyes....they kept repeating a message to her. A message she would never forget.  
  
_You belong to me alone._  
  
--end--  
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A/N: Like it? R/R pleaaaaase, I took forever to write this. ;_; I'm very sad....and the ages seem a bit off...Naraku wasn't around till late, but in the fic, he's already present when Inuyasha and Tasukete are little kids. So...bear with me. ^_^;;  
Read and review. Onegai.


	2. Sleepwalk

****

Marking of Property

Chapter Two: ^ Sleepwalk ^

written by: Madness

~~

A/N: Next chapter to 'Marking of Property'. I must tell you, though, it's really short. But I hope it's all good, as I never seem to get anything done with school on my back. It's a start, ne?? ^_~ Also, this chapter focuses on Tasukete and Sesshoumaru, and...uh...it's very short, but it happens to be an important chapter (and later you'll see why).

~~

Sesshoumaru hesitantly wrapped his arm around Tasukete, who in turn had her head buried in his clothing, her mind in several places at once. She had been confused for such a long time, whether she had been rightfully Naraku's or Sesshoumaru's....except Sesshoumaru didn't mark her as his, which made it more difficult for her to choose. She loved Sesshoumaru, but he rarely showed an emotion that displayed even the slightest care for her. Soon...he said those three heart-stopping words to her.

"Don't die Tasukete."

She had awaited for an 'I love you' actually, but with Sesshoumaru, those words couldn't have gotten any better. It showed that he didn't want her to get hurt! To Tasukete, those words were a lot more powerful than if any person said 'I love you' to her. Some phrases mean nothing depending on how it is said or the person who says it. If Sesshoumaru were to ever say 'I love you' to Tasukete, she would promptly die.

"Sesshoumaru-sama..." she whispered, but her words were muffled. He pushed her away slightly, his eyes having that same emotionless feel in them. Of course he would look the same as he always did - calm, relaxed, and unfeeling. Indifferent.

"What is it?"

She bit her lip in fear. She wanted to tell him about the marking Naraku had done to her so long ago; she wanted him to know and, hopefully, to accept it.

If only his eyes weren't looking so cold!!

"I, eh....." She placed a hand on her lower belly. Though her clothing was concealing the mark, she still felt as though everyone could see it clearly. It was burning then...as it had always burned. "Um...."

"What is it?" he asked again. A touch of annoyance was detected in his tone. It was that tone of his that changed her mind in the last second.

"Nothing, Sesshou-sama. Just...a bit tired."

He released her then; it saddened her...he never usually liked coming into contact with her. They always remained distant.

"Get some rest." he told her calmly, then walked away from her and to a tree, where he sat beneath it rather comfortably.

"Oh. Okay." she quipped and went to sit under a shady tree as well, only a short distance away from Sesshoumaru. 

She stared at him from across the plain of grass beneath a crowd of shady, looming trees. He was sleeping, something she was far from doing. She was too anxious to go to sleep - needless to say, she wasn't looking forward to getting sleep anyway. Naraku was constantly on her mind and in her dreams, persistantly reminding her that she was his, persuading her debauchedly.

Tasukete sighed inwardly. 'Trauma.'

Still, Sesshoumaru kept sleeping. He was quite a lovely sight; he always looked so calm and peaceful. Without fear...without much emotion at all, actually.

"Sesshoumaru.." she said to herself aloud, not taking her eyes off of him.

'He probably only *tolerates* me enough so I could be with him for a bit. But he'd never like me in that way.' she reasoned, but soon felt herself pushing herself from the ground and heading over to him.

"Sesshou-sama?" she asked softly after she kneeled in front of him. But he didn't hear her. She sighed again, gathering up her courage before she pressed her lips to his softly, and she didn't want to let go...even though Sesshoumaru's eyes had opened surprisingly from the contact.

Finally, though she did not want it to end so soon, she pulled away from him slightly. "G...gomen...Sesshoumaru..." She looked away from him in embarrassment. "I didn't....I mean....that was.."

Her words were cut off as Sesshoumaru raised his hand and placed it behind her head, pulling her into a kiss of his own. It was a soft kiss - his lips were cold and smooth, lightly brushing over her own in what was, perhaps, curiosity. Nothing could have been more surprising than this.

After a few moments, Sesshoumaru spoke. "Get some rest, Tasukete."

She stared at him in confusion for a second, and then sat down beside him, resting on the fluffiest, most comfortable part of his outfit. 'Sesshoumaru-sama....don't you even know what that is...or what it means to me?' she thought of saying to him, but fell asleep before she could force herself to do so.

And from a distance, Naraku felt Tasukete's moment of happiness and began to wonder about it. 'I need to remind her of whom she belongs to.'

~~

A/N: Next chappie coming soon (....maybe if I get reviews - hint hint). Oh, and by the way, the beginning of the story just takes place in the middle of nowhere. There's no specific reason as to why she's hugging him; she just is. Cuz she's moody like that. :P

~~R/R onegai!


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